Nearby, Alex’s friend, including Arthur, the Weasleys, and the Aurors, watched anxiously. Vanessa, one of the Aurors, was utterly bewildered. “How did we go from trading insults to this?” she muttered.
“Alex, are you out of your mind?” Arthur exclaimed, gripping Alex’s shoulder. “They wanted you to lose your cool and challenge them! You just walked right into their trap. And you’re fighting ten of them?!”
“That’s right!” Vanessa interjected, clearly upset. “I should’ve stepped in earlier. This is my fault for not stopping them before it escalated.”
Another Auror chimed in, “Let’s find the Minister or Dumbledore. They need to put an end to this madness before someone gets seriously hurt.”
Alex shook his head, calm and composed. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m the one who issued the challenge. I won’t back down now. And besides, letting these guys walk away without a lesson? That’s not an option.”
Vanessa hesitated, her brows furrowed. “Are you sure about this? You’re really going to fight them here?”
“Yes,” Alex replied, his voice steady. “Minister Bagnold wanted to put pressure on them, didn’t She? Consider this me lighting the fire for her.”
Vanessa sighed. “You’re either incredibly brave or ridiculously reckless.”
“That remains to be seen,” Alex said with a smirk. Then, shifting to a commanding tone, he added, “Vanessa, please ensure the area is secure. This banquet hall isn’t exactly built for dueling. If stray spells go flying, people could get hurt.”
“Alex, this is madness!” Arthur exclaimed. “What if you lose? You’ll become the laughingstock of the entire wizarding world. This isn’t just a fight; it’s your reputation on the line!”
Alex turned to Arthur with an easy smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t fight a battle I’m not certain I can win.”
Snape’s familiar drawl interrupted the conversation. “Confident, aren’t we?”
Alex turned his head slightly, a knowing smile on his lips. “Professor Snape, I didn’t see you there.”
Snape stepped forward, his expression as unreadable as ever. “You think so highly of yourself. Are you arrogant, or simply delusional?”
Alex chuckled softly. “Neither. I just have a bit of a cleaning habit. I can’t stand filth, so I’ve decided to take the trash out myself.”
Vivian gasped softly. “Professor Snape, when did you get here?” she asked, startled by his sudden appearance. “Why do you always show up so quietly?”
Snape smirked, ignoring her question. “I’ve been watching the show for quite a while now. I must say, the plot is painfully predictable. Your theatrics leave much to be desired.”
Alex laughed. “Well, you should blame the casting. It’s hard to perform when the actors are this uninspired.”
Arthur, unable to contain his frustration, spoke up. “Alex, listen to me. Don’t do this! You’ll be throwing away everything if you lose. These reporters will tear you apart!”
Snape interjected smoothly, “You’re worrying about the wrong people, Arthur. I’d be more concerned about the ones Alex is about to face.”
Alex glanced at Snape, picking up on the subtle challenge in his tone. “Professor, you seem unusually talkative today. How about we make a bet?”
Snape’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A bet? What do you propose?”
“Just place a bet. If I win, you have to tell me a secret,” Alex said with a sly grin.
“What kind of secret?” Snape asked, his tone sharp as his mind raced.
“Oh, something simple,” Alex replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. “For instance, how about the counter-curse for Sectumsempra?”
Snape raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. He hadn’t expected Alex to know about that spell. After a moment of consideration, he nodded. “Alright, but if I win, you’ll owe me a favor. It could be anything I ask.”
“Deal,” Alex said confidently, his grin widening.
Snape's lips curled into a faint smirk. “In that case, I’ll bet on you. And not just winning—I’m expecting a flawless victory.” His voice dropped lower, each word carrying weight.
Alex blinked, momentarily stunned. A wry smile crept onto his face. “You’re betting on me? Seriously? I didn’t expect you to slap me with confidence like that, Professor.”
Snape leaned closer and whispered, “Avery specializes in repelling and petrification spells. As for Lucius, he’s nothing but a pompous idiot. The others? They’re about as skilled as Yaxley. You should be able to handle them with your abilities.”
Alex sighed helplessly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Professor. I guess gambling really is a dangerous game. I underestimated it.”
Snape allowed himself a small chuckle but quickly masked it with his usual composed demeanor as he stepped away, his robes billowing behind him. Vanessa and the other Aurors, who had been trying to dissuade Alex, exchanged uneasy glances before resigning themselves to the situation. They dispersed to maintain order among the growing crowd.
Meanwhile, Avery and Lucius gathered their group—eight additional wizards they had managed to rope in—and stood in two lines, glaring at Alex with disdain.
Lucius lifted his chin arrogantly. “Alex, if you’re so eager to throw yourself into trouble, don’t blame us for what happens. If you admit your mistake now and confess that you lied to the Ministry of Magic out of vanity, we might just let you walk away unscathed.”
Avery sneered. “Don’t bother playing the saint, Lucius. There’s no way our little war hero would stoop to that. If he had that much sense, he’d already be thinking about how to beg Minister Bagnold for mercy after we crush him.”
Alex didn’t bother entertaining their taunts. Instead, he raised his voice, addressing the surrounding crowd. “This duel will continue until one side is unable to fight or surrenders. Everyone here, bear witness!”
Avery and Lucius both responded with an angry, “Fine!”
Alex nodded coolly, performing the proper dueling salute with a composed elegance. Before turning back to face his opponents, he called out to a group of younger wizards watching from the sidelines. “Watch closely. This is how you handle a one-against-many battle. I’m only showing you this once!”
The group exchanged startled looks but nodded hesitantly. “Uh… got it!” Charles managed to stammer.
As Alex turned back, his expression sharpened. He quickly assessed the situation, his mind racing.
“Ten opponents. They’re standing in two rows—five in the front, five in the back. Some of them look hesitant, likely dragged here by Avery. Their fighting spirit isn’t unified. If I strike fast, I can break their formation before they organize. No time to hesitate.”
Without a word, Alex’s magic surged. A swarm of black ravens erupted from beneath his robes, circling around him in a tight, chaotic vortex. The birds surrounded him, obscuring him from view. “What’s this?” Avery sneered. “You think parlor tricks will save you in a duel? Ridiculous.”
“Just hurry up and finish this, Avery,” one of the wizards in the back row muttered. “Teaming up against a kid is embarrassing enough as it is.”
Another wizard nodded. “Right. This whole thing is a joke.”
Several of Avery’s allies clearly weren’t invested in the fight, having only joined out of peer pressure. Still, they reluctantly drew their wands and prepared to participate.
Avery, realizing he couldn’t count on them, sneered and barked out his command. “Attack!”